Where to Eat in Sofia

A Culinary Guide to Bulgaria’s Capital

Bulgarian cuisine is a unique fusion of Balkan, Turkish, and Greek cuisine, creating something all its own. You’ll find the grilled meats that you’ll find all over the Balkans — in particular, kebapche (grilled skinless sausages) and kofte (grilled flattened meatballs) are two much-loved Bulgarian dishes, giving a nod to its Turkish and Balkan neighbors.

But whereas in a lot of the Balkans, salads are lacking, Bulgaria takes a cue from its Greek neighbor with a variety of delicious fresh salads that make full use of Bulgaria’s almost-exclusively organic produce. You can’t come to Bulgaria and not try the shopska salad — a delicious blend of cucumber, tomato, bell pepper, red onion, (sometimes olives) and a heavy dusting of grated Bulgarian feta. Soups (especially bean soup and tripe soup) are also quite popular in Bulgaria.

However, Sofia is an international city — though I wouldn’t say it’s exactly cosmopolitan. You’ll be able to find quite good Indian, Chinese, Japanese, American, and Italian food in the city. We’ll be sharing with you all our favorite international food findings as well as a large selection of restaurants serving the top Bulgarian cuisine — plus a few recipes — as time goes on.